EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 76, 22 December 1924, Page 7

EMPIRE CONFERENCE

INVITATION TO DOMINIONS’ PRIME MINISTERS TO MEET EARLY IN NEW YEAR TO DISCUSS THE GENEVA PROTOCOL The British Government is expected to send an invitationduHng the week-end to the Prime «talsters 0i tte Dominions to a conference m L '-"’ d , c,rl T . f “L t r? , T ’ v J p?otoarriving at an agreement m regard to the Genie a I col The Economic Conference is also to be conven d consultation on the application of the Preference resolutions adopted at the last Imperial Conference and the allocation of the £1,000,000 trade grant.

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London, December 19. The Australian Press Association understands that the British Government considers that conferences of supreme importance are pending. First the Economic Standing Conference,’ of which the membership includes the High Commissioners or other official representatives ot tne Dominions, unless, of course, the Dominions prefer to send special Ministers. The purpose of the Economic Conference is that of consultation on the application of the preference resolutions adopted ab the last Imperial Conference, and. also tne allocation of the £1,000,000 trade grant. Secondly, the Imperial Government contemplates calling a conference of Empire Prime Ministers about March for the purpose of arriving at an agreement in regard to the Geneva Protocol. The Conference will be confined to the one subject, and will be limited to Prime Ministers onlyThe proposal awaits Cabinet ratification, which is expected next week, whereupon Mr. Baldwin will probably cable invitations to the Dominions Prime Ministers. —Aus.-N.Z- Cable Assn. ! UNANIMITY ESSENTIAL BEFORE RATIFICATION BY BRITAIN r (Rec. December 21, 5.5 p.m.) 1 London, December 20. The “Daily Telegraph,” commenting on the Government’s decision rega'rding the protocol conference, says: “It would never do for Britain to accept the protocol and the Dominions to withhold their assent. Britain speaks for the Dominions in the Council of the League, but in the Assembly the Dominions speak for themselves. It is the Council which is .supremely . important when .questions of peace 'or war arise, with which the protocol is primarily con- . cerned. We hesitate even to contemplate the possibility of Britain speaking for the Empire in the Council and then have one of the Dominions repudiating liability for any committal. Yet that is what might happen if Britain should ratify the protocol without the Dominions’ cordial concurrence.” —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DOMINIONS’ RELATIONSHIPS i FULL CONSULTATION DESIRED (Reo. December 21, 5.5 p.m ) London, December 19. The Central News Agency states that the conference will be held in London in February, but this at present is not confirmed. It is admitted, however, that the Foreign Office, in moving for the postponement of the protocol of Geneva was actuated wholly by a desire for full consultation with the Dominions, which it felt was better achievable by personally conferring. Most of the other topics at the forthcoming conference concern the Colonial Office. It is believed that Cabinet will be ready to take up anew the question of the Dominions’ relationships, in fact it is hinted that any reasonable plan mutually agreed upon between, the Dominions within the limits of public policy will not be rejected by Britain, even to the extent of resident Ministers forming a kind of Imperial Cabinet. Meanwhile, on such difficulties as Egypt the Dominions will b" promptly informed. The Foreign Office’s maxim is that the League must not interfere in the Empire’s internal affoirs. Thesa must come before the Fmn ; re authorities first and not before the League.—-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. t 1 INVITATION EXPECTED. TO BE SENT AT WEEK-END (Reo. December 21, 11.5 p.m.) London, December 21. The "Observer’s’’ diplomatic correspondent says it is confidently expected the invitation to the special Imperial Conference will be cabled from London to the Dominions this week-end.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. MR. MASSEY’S ATTENDANCE IMPORTANT MATTERS PENDING Although Mr. Massey has not indicated his intentions in regard to the projected Imperial Conference, it is considered that he would he favourably disposed to the invitation, if it came to hand. The moment for such a conference is particularly opportune. If it were h°ld in March the Prime Minister could return in time to prepare hh legislative programme for the next session of Parliament. which it is expected will assemble in the second week in June, owing to its propinquity to the general elections. For personal reasons also, Mr. Massey might feel disposed to go to London, as a lengthy sea voyage would he of great benefit to him. in his present state of health. The acceptance of the invitation by the Prime Minister of Australia (Mr. Bruce) might' bo problematical, however. as the Federal ■Parliament assembles usually in April,

Very important matters, of particular interest to t.h o Dominions, uro «n--d©r consideration at the present mc>* ment by the British Government, and it may be assumed that the British Prime Minister wishes to discuss some of them with the Dominion Prime Ministers. These questions have only been slightly advanced beyond the point at which they were left when the last Imperial Conference terminated, as Mr. Baldwin’s Government was defeated at the general elections immediately afterwards, and the Labour Government withheld action in regard to them. . ' . The Singapore base project is the most important of these. The Bnt’sn Government has now decided to proceed with the scheme, but will be faced with a new problem in the matter of the Dominions’ share of the cost of construction (£10,500,000). When the project was first contemplated by the Conservative Ministrv of 1923, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth assured Great Britain that Australia would be ready to make a Substantia! contribution. No snecifio figure was mentioned bv Mr. Bruce, but as Mr. Massev at about the same time offered £lOO.OOO a rear for a term of years to Great Britain, Australia would have felt almost bound to have contributed a relatively larger sum and the work proceeded. Since then the position has, from the point of view of both New Zealand and Australia, altered materially. Disregarding their . protests, the MacDonald Labour Ministry resolved to abandon the. Singapore base, the view cf tho British Government being that that would be a splendid gesture of peace, and that the chief nations of the world would realise that Great Britain was sincere in her advocacy of disarmament. The result of the abandonment was that Australia and New Zealand were compelled to formulate n. more ambitious naval programme than would hare been the case had the British Government continued the policy of its predecessors. Now that the original plan has been revived, it is considered questionable in A ustralia— even by some Cabinet Ministers—whether the Commonwealth can afford to carry out her own .naval programme, involving two new 10,000ton cruisers, and at the same time contribute on a scale commensurate with the benefit and protection she will receive through having a powerful British fleet based at Singapore. Mr. Massey’s Government diverted New Zealand’s contribution! to the . cost of maintenance of an additional ciuiser, and the question of t> contribution to the Singapore base would necessarily have to be reviewed. In official circles it is not considered, however, that any difficulty at all would be placed in the way of New Zealand reverting to the original plan for a cash contribution to the construction of the Singapore base. CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING FOREIGN POLICY (Rec. December 21, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 20. Correspondence between the Imperial and Dominion Governments "relative to matters of foreign policy and general Imperial interest” to be tabled in the House of Commons to-day will not be available for publication here for .several days.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE IRISH TREATY BRITISH NOTE TO LEAGUE EFFECT ON STATUS OF ©DOMINIONS Paris, December 19. The British Note regarding the registration of the Irish Treaty with the League of Nations, must be withdrawn, or it will cause the Dominions to leave the League, is the opinion of the “Ere Nouvelle,” in declaring the members of the Jxiagao are, equal. If the Dominions are simply British satellites, voting at British dictation, they must not, and cannot, participate, because thereby Britain would have seven I votes compared with the one vote of each of the other Powers. —Reuter. IMPERIAL QUESTIONS BETTER SETTLED INSIDE PROFESSOR MURRAY’S OPINION (Rec. December 21, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 19. Presiding at a meeting of the Council of the League of Nations, at Caxton Hall, Professor Gilbert Murray, alluding to the objections to the Irish Free State registering with the League . of Nations, the treaty constituting it ! a Dominion, pointed out that any disI pute about a treaty among the mein- ' hers of the British Empire went to the Privy Council. Such a dispute was very much bettor settled inside than by calling in foreigners. Imperial lawyers should try to define exactly tt.e meaning of "within the British Empire.”, and the exact relations of the Dominions to themselves and to the Mother Country. Professor Murray expressed the opinion that it was quite clear in the meantime that the British Government wa. right in not handing over an agreement hot ween the Mother Country

and one part of the Empire straight off to foreign tribunals to settle.— Reuter. NO CHANGE IN STATUS INVOLVED (Reo. December 21, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 19. The insistence of a section of tho French Press that Britain’s action in ruling out the Irish Treaty with the League betokens a change in the Dominions’ status at League meetings, hat, caused many political inquiries, but it can be stated authoritatively that n„ change is involved, though a desire exists that the Empire delegation should it possible preliminarily agree on a major issue such as the Geneva Protocol. This and other subjects will be included in matters to be discussed at the early Imperial Conference. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. MR. BALDWIN’S SPEECH ON PREFERENCE APPROVED BY SOUTH AFRICAN PRESS Cape Town, December 19. The South African Party Press expresses the greatest satisfaction at Mr. Baldwin’s statement on preference. The “Capa Argus” says that the Prime Minister has skilfully managed to redeem all but the mere letter of what, superficially considered, might appear to be two irreconcilable pledges—that there would be no new taxes on food, and that the proposals of the Economic Conference would be fulfilled. The “Cape Times” ■ believes that the line of Imperial self-help, as outlined by Mr. Baldwin, if it can be followed far enough, will reveal immense and quite unexpected possibilities of good for all the partner States of the Empire.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CHANNELS FOR THE MILLION VOTE London, December 19. The “Daily Express”, lobbyist says that the million vote will be spent on the improvement of the port arrangements and cold storage facilities and on securing tonnage at times when the Dominions are unable to compete for shipping.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. LOANS FOR DEVELOPMENT WORKS IN DOMINIONS BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S SCHEME DISAPPOINTING RESPONSE London, December 19. In the House of Commons, on a motion for adjournment, Mr. W. E. Guinness, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, replying to Mr. W. Gra--ham (Labour), who raised the question of unemployment, said that so far there had been only a disappointing response to the scheme for carrying out the resolutions of the Imperial Economic Conference, under which the Government would give up ,to three-quarters of the interest during the development period for any public utility scheme in the Dominions or colonies where there was a genuine anticipation. Only two applications had been made from Dominions, and both were refused because no. anticipation was shown. But that did not mean that nothing would come from the scheme in the future, because inevitably it took a long time for the distant Dominions to understand the facilities offered. —Reuter.